Foster Care Success

Today we had our home study to be licensed for foster care! The home study is where they come into your home and make sure it meets all their safety requirements. They also go over your application and ask you a bunch of questions about you and your family. We passed with flying colors!

Actually, she did find 2 things that need to be fixed but they are super easy. We need to get a lid for our garbage can and 2 of our smoke alarms had dead batteries (which is strange because a: we checked them a few weeks ago and b: they are wired electrically and they should flash red when the batteries are dead).

So they have to do more paperwork and then we'll meet again for our actual licensing. The lady said that we will be licensed before Thanksgiving! That's exciting!

Plus, I got more info today on the shelter care program. It's a program where you take children who need a home immediately for a shorter term (less than 3 months) until they decide what needs to be done with their case (e.g. go to live with grandma, be place in a regular foster home or be placed for adoption ect.).

Interestingly, the lady today said that I am not allowed to talk at all about why the child was taken from their home or any other particulars about the case. She also said that I probably wouldn't be able to post pictures of the foster child on my blog. So if/when you see pictures with a blurred out face you'll understand why. She said I can talk about the child's daily activities/milestones (e.g. little suzie smiled for the first time today).

Another interesting thing I didn't know. Foster children can only be babysat by a person who has gone through a process to be allowed to babysit. They have to get a t.b. test and get an FBI background check ect. (I knew all this) But they must be babysat in my home because my home is the one that has met their safety requirements. The only variance is if another licensed foster parent watches them then they can go to their house. It really makes sense but I just hadn't thought of that.